Possible Genset?

[TomC]

The only even firing 2 cylinder I know of is the 6kw air cooled or 7.5kw water cooled Onan.  I have the air cooled 6kw DJB for stand by power at the house, but it is VERY loud even in a sound cabinet.  Those other two cylinder engines are literally a 4 cylinder engine with 2 cylinders loped off-so they sound like they are missing all the time-translated-they are rough running.  Try to find at least a 3 cylinder or 4 cylinder that are even firing.
That 2 cylinder in the picture may run slowly but it is belt driving an el cheapo 3,600rpm alternator head. 

If you want the most reliable, quietest genset possible, look for a direct drive (no belts) brushless alternator head running at 1,800rpm.  They just run and run and run....Good Luck, TomC

[caz]

Been there, done that... Don't waste your money. Aside from the starting issue's these have, mine crapped out "during" my first trip. The word "quiet" on this is a joke too. If noise isn't a issue for you though, here's what I got for my MC9. $900

http://www.lowes.com/pd_97483-348-30477_4294857298_4294937087_?productId=3192419&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Generators_4294857298_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

It's loud as $hit though, so it's not campground material. I even pulled it and lent it to my buddy for his MC9 tour bus when the "deal" of a generator he bought didn't work on his maiden voyage. He went right out and bought one of these when he got back. We've run them in 105° temps for days on end pulling two 13.5 AC's, fridge, lights, fans and a Jäger machine 
He even built a sweet slider system for easy fueling. Now we have to do the same for mine so I can lose the PVC fueling tube I made.

[gus]

caz,

Very interesting, what kind of ventilation do you have?

[caz]

The exhaust faces the outside and we kept the factory mesh door, that's it. Honestly it doesn't throw near as much heat as I thought it would under normal conditions. The parked days in 105° heat though, it does get hot enough that you don't want to touch that door without your mechanix gloves on when you refuel 

The bay is sheeted with reflective foam insulation and sealed off so fumes don't go into the bays and our CO detector is mounted inside directly above the bay for safety. The open mesh door seems to be all it needs, although that doesn't help the noise level. In my bus we're typically either plugged in at a campsite or running the gen down the road so noise isn't a issue. My buddy's tour bus is usually parked out back of a outdoor stage area or a venue parking lot, where noise is not a issue either. I've been running mine for 11 months now, we did just over 3000 miles this year.
Here's a shot of mine in the bay.

[rcbeam]

CAZ:  I thought the consensus was that you cannot run an air cooled genset while driving down the highway... thought they would overheat and cook.  It looks like you've been doing it and it works.  I'm confused as usual.

[caz]

CAZ:  I thought the consensus was that you cannot run an air cooled genset while driving down the highway... thought they would overheat and cook.  It looks like you've been doing it and it works.  I'm confused as usual.

No such problems here 
Got the idea partially from a friend who runs air cooled gas units out of a rear bay in his '79 Eagle. He was always running cheap underpowered generators and we were convinced if he had spent the money on a decent one he would have avoided some of the problems he was encountering from time to time.
Me and my friend were both converting MC9's at the same time which was helpful for bouncing ideas back and forth. Like I said, I tried the cheap air cooled diesel first and it failed, and that was a winter trip, no way it would have made it through a summer. That unit is now in my garage for power outages. I kind of fell into this one by necessity because we were out of town. Luckily I was able to score this unit at Lowe's and get it hooked up temporarily for our ride home. Once I wired things in proper I was pleasantly surprised.  I'm sure it's not the best option mainly due to noise and fueling, because without the slides it's a chore, but it can be done for under a grand and it has proven itself time and time again for both our buses. It has a 8.5 gallon tank and at full load in high heat we're getting about 8-9hrs per tank, and at night, even running the AC, we're getting about 11-12hrs per tank. I have a 12gal fuel tank and low pressure fuel pump in my front bay that I plan on using to create a fuel supply loop to extend my range but I have not hooked it all up yet.

[RnMAdventures]

Caz, you are using the existing gas tank on the generator? One of my main concerns with having a setup as you do was fire and explosions. Have you checked the surface tempertures of the walls of that compartment after it has ran a while? It would be interesting what they would be. I suppose the autoingition temperature of gasoline is around 495 F, so it may be safe using the tank on the genset, but I am not sure about the hoses. you have been doing it so it has been working for you, it just seems dangerous.

It's a cool setup you have made work. Any chance you can buy another muffler to quiet it down?

[gus]

Amazing, this defies everything the naysayers have been posting for years.

Very good to know.

[Busted Knuckle]

Amazing, this defies everything the naysayers have been posting for years.

Very good to know.

[robertglines1]

Experience: For what it's worth. This type of Generator is meant for open air use only. Mainly for construction/or temp power home owner use -out door. I have used this type for over 40 yrs as a contractor/operating engineer. In that time from use the following personal observations. 2  burned down when fuel lines broke spilling fuel/fumes on hot exhaust-engine.Gas powered. They do produce deadly gas which will seep thru the tinny of holes possible. The cycles at which they operate (60 designed) seem to vary. not to important with anything with brushes or like heaters or toasters. Hard on electronics or anything with transformers.   I will admit I hooked one up to see if it would carry my coach in case of main gen set failure.  The surge when loads varied during use led me to rule this out. (8000 troybuilt) voltage would go from 119 drop to 102 the recover some what.     All this considered. I feel most or designed to last less than 1000hrs and don't run without a carbonmonoxide monitor in your coach. fuel only when cool& pref a tank away from gen set.  Stay alive---if you must use-----treat like you would something to be feared.   Don't get mad at this post! just please be careful!!!  Hope to see you on the road.     Bob.......PS....  refering to post with gas tank mounted on top of gen set not original posters question....

[luvrbus]

Come on guys you see the Kubota gasoline engine powering generators in these high end gas engine pushers and not giving any problems

good luck

[TomC]

Kubota makes water cooled gasoline engines also. Years ago, I believe it was Generac that had a 3 cylinder gasoline engine from a Chevy Metro powering a 10kw (if I remember right) genset.  It was one of the quietest gensets I'd ever heard. 
Onan, Kohler, Generac, Kubota, etc many others make gasoline gensets that are water cooled for gasoline powered boats.  Very close to Diesel reliability and now have catalytic converters on them so you don't have to worry about fumes.

I had a 6.5 Onan Commercial Emerald on my big rig truck.  With the fumes coming out and having to run the generator at night for either heat or cooling the sleeper, I also had an outside plug to power a box fan to blow the fumes away from the sleeper.  Worked well-created lots of questions though.

[robertglines1]

As you see I waited to page 4 to reply because of backlash.  do what you must. if  you have a choice go with something with a remote gas tank at least. Lots of good gen sets out there for same $ that are of better quality than the new offerings. I am running a 7.5 kohler 4cyl gas powered water cooled in the 89 . paid $750.  Have a 7.5 lp unit for the 98  with 34 hrs on it (take out) in cabinet. $1500. So the deals are there. Both came out of RV's the 1st out of a wonderlodge  the 2nd out of a mobile comand post(rv type)    Bob

[luvrbus]

My point is Bob the diesels start fires just as easy as the gasoline generators if diesel poses no danger then Jim is wasting his time with his fire system for a generator compartment,fwiw 100% gasoline the auto ignition and diesel are around 80 degrees in difference and you add the ethanol to gasoline and they are about the same,85% ethanol the auto ignition is around 700 degrees I heard that part is a lot better than diesel 


good luck

[robertglines1]

agree on fuel fire potential! Fuel source close to heat and ignition source I question?? Most of these self-contained units have warning labels about fueling when running or hot. The other concern is quality of continuous power.